Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's absence on the first day of the Maharashtra assembly session fuelled intense speculation about the CM's health, however his son Aaditya Thackeray said that the CM's condition is fine.
"The Chief Minister's condition is fine. I have spoken to him on the phone. He will come whenever he wants to," Aaditya Thackeray told reporters.
Notably, CM Thackeray, who underwent a cervical spine surgery on November 12, has been recuperating at his official residence 'Varsha' since the past over a month.
However, he has been regularly conducting important meetings related to the Covid-19 and Omicron health crises, the cabinet meetings and other major meets online.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi enquired about the well-being of Uddhav Thackeray, who is recuperating from the surgery. Thackeray, 61, is recovering well and will attend the ongoing session of the Maharashtra assembly, Shiv Sena leader Vinayak Raut told the prime minister.
Modi sought an update on Thackeray's health from Shiv Sena parliamentarians during the customary meeting of floor leaders with Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the conclusion of the Winter Session of Parliament.
Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil however, called it "inappropriate" for a Chief Minister to miss the opening day of the assembly and suggested that someone else should take charge while Mr Thackeray recuperated.
"If the Chief Minister is unable to attend the winter session then he should designate someone to carry out business. It is inappropriate that the Chief Minister remains absent from the legislature proceedings. We will not accept the complete absence of the Chief Minister from the session," Mr Patil said.
Mr Thackeray had recently visited the Vidhan Bhavan in his first public appearance after the surgery. He has been working from his official home and has been attending cabinet meetings virtually.
Today, earlier in the day, the BJP demanded that the Maha Vikas Aghadi should replace Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray since he is indisposed and the state administration is allegedly at a standstill, but the ruling coalition of Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress dismissed the suggestion.
The Sena-NCP hit back with ministers Aditya Thackeray and Jayant Patil assuring that the CM's health is fine and he is likely to attend the House. Rejecting the opposition's contentions, they also said the CM, the cabinet and the government are performing very well and there should be no cause for anyone to worry.
